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Google's Local Search Results for Broad Keywords

I have a question regarding Google's local search results for broad keywords. Since Google is changing their algo to reflect local results for broad words, would it be beneficial now to start going after those words as well?

For example: we have a client ranking for 'miami security alarm', but I would like to know if it would be beneficial to start optimizing for 'security alarm' as well.

Also, since Google's keyword research tool reflects searches on a national level, how would I be able to find out how many searches a broad keyword is receiving on a local level?

3 Responses

I am working with a commercial photographer and it is an area that is wide open in local where he operates. But, we are mostly optimising his pages for the broad term + area + brand. Obviously, we carry this through his page name, page title, meta description, breadcrumbs and actual content so we have something like.

So, any citations will also at least mention the location, feature his consistent address and his main keywords (without any localisation).

So, I am not sure, if we do this the right way, there needs to be any kind of distinction and I am certainly not going to cram search keywords together like 'commercial photographer birmingham' and miss out general stop words like 'in' to somehow 'optimise' it better. Likewise, I am unlikely to want to build links with 'commercial photographer birmingham' as an anchor as it is probably completely unneeded and unnatural + possibly dangerous.

For most small businesses in the UK local SEO is so easy and so open that just build something that does things the right way

The right keywords (commercial photographer instead of the bigger volume commercial photography)

Well optimised landing pages and a solid information architecture

Good content that matches the intent of the user searching

Well optimised social platforms

Lots of well put together citations (quality matters - think of each one as an advert for the biz)

Unstructured citations on important sites (twitter bio etc)

Maybe some local links

Consistent NAP

A review strategy that builds reviews in a sensible, steady manner (preferably steering the reviewers to include the location and service keyword in the nicest possible way)

This should not be difficult and certainly don't approach it in a spammy or manipulative way & try to build quality into your workflow and increasing visibility locally (in the UK at least) should be easy.

You discussed very helpful techniques for onsite optimization, but how about the offsite SEO and the keywords used in content marketing?

To use your example: would it be beneficial to use keywords in the content and anchor text like "commercial photographer" without also including the location ("in Birmingham"), since Google is localizing the results anyway?

"commercial photographer" will presumably gain more searches than "commercial photographer in Birmingham", even in the local arena.

Hey Alex, personally, I would focus on getting your citations put together well with ideally unique descriptions that include your keywords. Don't worry too much about building links and certainly don't worry too much about anchor text. Go for the easy wins first and we are seeing great results in local search for existing sites with just some local branded links, solid on page optimisation and a sensible site structure, citations and well put together and optimised Google+ Local profile page.

Put together a review strategy and try to get keywords and location in your reviews.

Maybe do a small bit of AAA guest blogging on a relevant site with a relevant blog topic and get a link back. Work in keywords if you really want to but be sparse, varied and sensible.

Links, links, links is not the way to do, do, do things any longer and especially not in local.

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